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City Hall begins construction of the first base for the Elite Division of the Municipal Guard – Municipal Force
Published on 05/08/2025 - 10:54 | Updated on 06/08/2025 - 12:25
The spaces will have an administrative sector, changing rooms, cafeteria, parking and a storage room - Art / Disclosure The Rio de Janeiro City Hall began construction on the first base of the Municipal Guard's Elite Division (Força Municipal) this Tuesday (August 05th). The unit will be established in Praça Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora, in Leblon, based on the renovation of an existing Municipal Guard building. The Municipal Force will initially have three operational units: in Leblon, there will be one in Inhoaíba, in Parque Oeste, and another in Piedade, in Parque Piedade.
"We've decided to arm part of the Municipal Guard, creating an elite group whose role will be to combat street crime, robberies, and theft. It won't be responsible for combating land occupation, drug trafficking, or militias. It will guard the city's main traffic hubs. Training will begin in September, and we'll start with three bases: this one in Leblon and the other two in Piedade and Oeste parks. Over time, we will, with careful consideration, training, and organization and management, expand the Municipal Force so it can serve the entire city. This is a new process the city is embarking on to collaborate with the state government's security forces," stated Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes.
Each base will have approximately 500 square meters of built area and capacity to accommodate up to 200 agents, totaling 600 across the three units. The spaces will include an administrative sector, locker rooms, a cafeteria, parking, and a weapons storage area. The climate-controlled structures will be built with concrete blocks, reinforced slabs, and security doors to ensure protection and control.
"We are beginning construction of this first Municipal Force base. An investment of approximately R$2,7 million in a 500-square-meter area, fully air-conditioned, with bathrooms and changing rooms. It provides adequate infrastructure to provide the best possible service to the agents who will work for the Municipal Force," said Infrastructure Secretary Wanderson Santos. The base construction project is under the responsibility of the Municipal Urbanization Company (Rio-Urbe), which is linked to the Municipal Infrastructure Department.
With efficient management, the Municipal Force's actions will be based on data and scientific evidence. Interventions will be strategic in areas with the highest crime rates, and actions will be tailored to the characteristics of each region. All guards will be on the streets with a Daily Mission Board (DMS), activated geolocation, and their actions will be mapped based on the crime situation in each region. Officers will not respond to incidents by calling 190 or 1746, will not conduct police operations aimed at combating organized crime or criminal investigations, and will not conduct public order checks, crowd control, or riot control.
"The Municipal Guard's Elite Division, our Municipal Force, will be crucial to achieving the strategic goals of reducing crime in the city of Rio. Our operational priorities include training, selecting the elite members of this group, and establishing the bases where these officers will be stationed. Today, we began a significant investment by the City Hall to provide a structured base for our officers, from which they will be able to travel to their missions. Thus, we are confident that we will contribute to public safety in the city of Rio," stated Brenno Carnevale, Secretary of Public Order and future director-general of the Municipal Guard's Elite Division – Municipal Force.
The agents will be exclusively dedicated to their duties and will work in a manner that is adapted to the characteristics of each region. The force will be trained and equipped with modern equipment: each of them will work with body cameras and radios, which cannot be turned off, and will be monitored with a GPS receiver. The model will be controlled, transparent, with ongoing dialogue with the Public Prosecutor's Office and society, and independent oversight mechanisms, such as the internal affairs department and the ombudsman's office.
The management model will be based on Compstat, a data-driven police management system developed by the New York Police Department. The mayor will meet regularly with the leadership of the Elite Division of the Municipal Guard – Municipal Force and with municipal managers to discuss priority problems based on data reports and define control strategies. This will make it possible to coordinate problem-solving efforts. The City of Rio aims to work in partnership with state security forces and justice agencies.
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